In the heart of Florida’s cattle ranching country, Arcadia sits along the Peace River, which offers up an array of public lands for outdoor recreation. The river occasionally goes dry, which is when fossil-hunters arrive to scour the shallows. Downtown Arcadia is a delight for history buffs and shoppers who love browsing antiques in an authentic Old Florida downtown.
Nearby: Bradenton, Lake Placid, Punta Gorda, Sarasota, Zolfo Springs
Trails and Parks in Arcadia
Babcock Ecotour Trail - At Babcock Wilderness Adventures - a popular ecotourism attraction east of Punta Gorda - the Ecotour Trail is a no-cost option to getting your feet wet on an exploration of wet flatwoods habitats along a well-maintained trail through the palmetto prairie. 
Babcock Ranch Footprints Trail - Following old forest roads, the purple-blazed loop of the Footprints Trail through the heart of Babcock Ranch, a vast prairie punctuated by cypress strands, provides a simple introduction to this often-squishy ecosystem.
Myakka Hiking Trail - For immersion in Florida's central prairies, the 39-mile Myakka Hiking Trail is a serious backpacking destination in South Florida near Sarasota
Myakka River Canopy Walk - At Myakka River State Park in Sarasota, the Canopy Walk provides a sky-high view of the Myakka River basin as well as an intimate immersion in the live oak canopy in a beautiful hammock of oaks and palms. 
Myakka River State Park - With tall waving grasses, saw palmetto, and the sound of birds, Myakka River State Park immerses you in Florida's Big Sky country amid wide open prairies and riverside marshes.
Peace River Trail - Following Paynes Creek to its confluence with the Peace River, the Peace River Trail at Paynes Creek Historic State Park is a nature trail with scenic overlooks
Related Articles
A Peaceful Donation (10/27/2014) - A donation of the 4,171 acre Peaceful Horse Ranch on the Peace River was turned down by DEP two years ago. It was just accepted as a future Florida State Forest- Cypress Lodge (6/7/2009) - Some folks know where to place a porch, and Mr. Fred Babcock was one of them. His Cypress Lodge is deep in Babcock Ranch, set on a creek draining into the Telegraph Swamp. On a visit there, I watched a gator sunning on the shore, wood storks and ibises winging their way above the dark […]
- Hiking near Zolfo Springs? (2/8/2009) - I just heard from my friends Bill and Ginny, who are planning a trip up to Zolfo Springs. For those of you who have no idea where this is, it’s a quiet place in the middle of South Central Florida, about an hour east of Bradenton and a half hour north of Arcadia, in Hardee […]